Beating Burnout: Confronting Prosecutor Well-being
Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET
Times are tough, and the burden on prosecutors and other criminal justice stakeholders is extraordinarily high. When the state of the work–and the world–can be so overwhelming, it can be hard to prioritize one’s own well-being. Yet, as this webinar establishes, prosecutors’ well-being directly impacts their work.
This interactive workshop helps prosecutors and other stakeholders learn to navigate the occupational stress of a career within the criminal legal system and encourages attendees to prioritize their own wellness. Our webinar features Dr. Garland Gerber, a clinician, researcher, and educator with over twenty years of experience in mental health and substance use treatment. Her work examines how occupational stress, burnout, and trauma exposure affect professionals working within the criminal legal system, with particular attention to how these dynamics shape well-being and decision making.
Dr. Gerber walks us through why criminal attorneys and advocates are so prone to burnout; the impact of prosecutor burnout on people who are accused and/or victimized by crime; ways to identify, prevent, and treat burnout; and how lawyers and prosecutors in particular can prioritize wellness. She also explores how elected leaders and managers can implement practical, organization-wide strategies that improve workplace wellness and, as a result, improve the work of their staff.
Mental Health Clinician and Research Scientist
Dr. Garland Gerber
Dr. Garland Gerber is a clinician, researcher, and educator with over 20 years of experience in mental health and substance use treatment. Her work examines how occupational stress, burnout, and trauma exposure affect professionals working within the criminal legal system, with particular attention to how these dynamics shape decision-making, well-being, and case outcomes.
Grounded in clinical practice and substance use research, she advocates for attorneys to be recognized and supported as helping professionals—deserving of mental health training, trauma-responsive resources, and organizational supports comparable to those provided in other care-oriented professions. Her work bridges research and practice to strengthen workforce wellness and improve system-level responses to substance use disorder.
Executive Director, Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College
Rachel Marshall
Rachel Marshall is the Executive Director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution.
Rachel previously served as the Director of Communications and Policy Advisor at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, following nearly a decade working as a public defender in Alameda County, California. Rachel has extensive expertise in the criminal legal system and efforts to reform it, as well as experience in media, policy, and advocacy.
Rachel graduated from Stanford Law School and Brown University. After law school, she clerked for federal District Court Judge David O. Carter in the Central District of California. Prior to law school, she taught high school history for three years in the Bronx